Rail joint



Sept. 22, 1925.

. B. FEHR RAIL JOINT Filed Jan. 28,l 41925 NTO . (will bey more or less levenly balanced against c Patenteclsept. 22, 1925.

i naseaez ,1

)non B. FERR, oF'onEvEnANnfomo, A'ssieivora To 'game QF @Lantana cmq, A eoaroaATloNoF DELAWARE .aan @ma Y* j .Application filled.` `January Zoall whom z'zf may ooncemz j j j Be it known that I, Roi llnrin a citizen of thelUnite'diStates, residing at* Cleveland, in the i county of 'Cuyahogafan'd State of lOhio, have'inventedV certain new and useful folloyvingisaspeeification. l

` My invention 'is rovernent lin rail joints `and more `paifticnlarly relatesfto ,the typeh of joint 'formed' by Welding.

Rail jointsas heretofore used,A have failed y.to endure togajpraeticaldegree the excessive loads imposed` upon them, and this is more apparentivhere the loads dareatijended by high speed, such as a fast moving oar or train.y I have found that y' attempts to strengthen Welded :rail joints succeededw so i yvell thatthe joint in some respects became stronger than the rail, tli'elatter often being `somewhat weakened byA fthe nature and formationiof the joint.: Extending stresses ooncentrated `in therails at" the 4ends' of the `fish platescoupled withstresses due to base sean believed to `have been thelvcause of afina' ierfv rail @senses-36H10@ 'POISV It is'rtherefore'an iriiportantobjectof my .llnton Vto overcome ther defects above.` "stated andj to construct aostrongfrail joint.

ends.

intvliiclifthe` strength `ofthe various parte eiaohfother andthat of the rails@` e y It is also an object of my invention to pre- `the ends" of thelishplates; f v j It is afurther object of my invention` to distributefnioreeyenly the stresses `in a rail thereover.` 1 j y y g A further vobject ofiny invention is to provide a Welded railjoint which is designed to reduce, if not entirely eliminate, "rail" breakages at the endsA of thev Weldediishf. j j A w l y n .with Qofrespenemely outwardly Prenestina plates.

Other objects and advantages Vwill ,become apparent lduring the progressv ofnthe `descrip- Vtion of-an embodiment of n'i'y invention, re-" erence being `had to the acconipanying"dravv-V l ings in -Whichlike numerals are used to `designate like parts throughout. -ln` the drawings: i

Figi is asideelevation of the railjoint `shinvng thelpreferred form; f

Improyements in Rail Joints, 'of ythe i Welds extendingftothe ends vofthe platesaie y vent the` concentration f of load stressesl t any onepo'int, particularly in- :the .rails at joint during the passing of ajwheel load man. WELDING a iisnoNnInG fooivi- .efbeseam Walde. are interrupted@ @hagen- 4Refeweret@"the dawingflfhave shown i rails in which 1` represents da webs; 2;' the heads' and' 3 representsthe ibase rflanges. '4

.Fish plates l and 14e. farepijoyiel Withftlie usual bolt holes in `which register: :with` the usual .openings in thefifail ends.. `Thesebolt rails and areseouredfilfplace'by huts 7 yn mit@ mangime :manly inventan th the@ ap@ shown Figs.: 1 and f In F ig. l` I -liaye Ashoyvn fish plates i yand :It is anfimportant object ofymyyinvention t0 ,Ove/reame the'te'ndecy Of a nassieiilleel Aload to concentijatethe,stresses impartedfto' the rail ointA at one" j point. "I ,thierexflo're l i Y my inyention,` sh 1plates f diffjerent lengths secured to Vthera-,il ends sothat theiendsljof provide in" the preferred 'y embodiment" 'of one of the plates ei'teildfeqnally ,lief

valid flanges 8 and'. 8flhese feesabllt--tlie under surfacesqof .theorrailfheads andfthe tively.

` the rail `material contactfslgivitli )thee flanges,

i `,plates il.V i are preferably 4 4the. corresponding eiidsofy the' @there i plate.V i i upper` surfaces the railHbasgesjjrespepj surfaefesi and 9*,'figespectively extending va groove and extending rforwardly of said.

rail head to form a ledge, for securing Weld metal, as shown at 11 in Fig. 3. The lower flanges 8 and 8 are secured to the base flanges '3 'ofr the railby' Welding as atrlQ and 12 in Fig. 3. c. Y

In this connection, is importantwzthat the Weld metal receiving surface. extend' to a point at or near the end` ofthe sh plate, so that the upper Weld can extend along the vfull l engthof the plates, if strength. ..de

" mands full` length Welds; .but the Vlower v Weld should extend only to' Apoints' Which are several inches .Within the' ends of the plates so that. thefnatural concentration of stresses which occurI atV a change of section l 'Will notbe augmented'by Welding stresses.

The ends of each orpof one lof the fish plates may be slotted longitudinally .asv at 4 munie y1,4 and 14.: .In some" ycases theseV slots'fneed only run tQthe rst bolt hole" on each end ofthe plates, but, with excess'ive stresses or when using railsof greater or less Weight, it "may be Vadvisable'to continue the slots, vto, la

2"Ypoint beyond the bolt hole and to terminate saidfslots in anopeningfnot' shown).v

v@itlfer nstalfeethe 11016101 opening c0111* ting Witlrthe lslot'V rwill prevent the 3O` plateffromlcrackingV at the slot.

The slots in the fish pl tes give ya certain amountefy shock` absorbing qualities to the entire joint :and particularly ata point just ahead andfjustbeyond'the yabuttir'ig edges of v the rails, that is, near the ends kof the fish plates. j Furthermore, there will be a more gradual change in cross section (and'section modulus) from the rail and the joint, and

consequently there isla batter vdistribution of stresses than there is in'present forms of (Wheel load) lis 4joints, when a rolling load applied..

' frrhu'eibeiiib macias@ inthe' piepesed typeofrail joint thevery desirable ,lillet f effectfforobtaining the; more even distribu-y tion o f stresses'wlien the joint is called upon fto actas a beam` under Wheel loads,"is obtainedb-yfoneor a `combination ofv the folv" lowing nmethods V: -First,V by providing staggered seams to distribute'Weldingy Stresses;

short ofrthefplate Sends, 'so' that Welding' stresses Will r'not augmentstresses in Trails at second, staggering the plates to'insure com- V plete or partial staggering of the seams, and togiveuinore gradual change vir'icrfgsssection f (sec t1on` modulus) th1rdby.` slottlng` theV ends' of fish plates to give more gradual "change in' ysectionmodulus; andfourth, by

stopping the base seam Welds several inches .Vendsofplatesdue'tobending.'' Y amodified form of my invention as YV shown irr'Fig, i4, lI'have"pliovided iish'plates' i je'sjandfeeef equa/eagergestured; a each the abutting lends in'l staggered V@relatien@ ,this .form of 1 n'y invention` I rf c.

of my invention or the Vscope of the-subing the results accomplished by the form -my invention which is similar to the form shown in Fig. 4 in that the fish plates `31 and. 32 are ofthe samevflengtlrand arese- 'cured tothe rail ends in staggered relation `and .may be slotted. Inthe present form, however, it Will-be noted that the base Weld-p 33 is interrupted at 34 fora short distance on each side of the plate "directly opposite the point yof contact,of the rail ends. vThe plates maybe slot-ted as at 35 and 36 as in the prefer'redform shown in Fig. y1.

q It. is to be understood thatl variousV changes may` befmade' inl the construction as described Without departing -fromcthe spirit joined claims. i I claim-f y i; Y. m

l; The method of constructing a seam Welded ra-il joint which f comprises aligning adjacent rail ends, fitting .jointy plates in fishing relation on opposite sides ofthe rail ends and integrally uniting said plates to said rail ends byhead` and base seams, the base seams being relatively yshort with respect to the length ofthe plates and the length of the head seams and being located in their entirety kremote from the ends of the plates and beingfsubstantially centrally located -with. r respect to said plates.

f. 2. The' methodV of 'constructing a seam Weldedrail jointwhich comprises aligning adj acentrail ends, fitting joint plates in fishing relation .on 'oppositey sides of the yrail ends, each said plate having slots extending "longitudinally .from the opposite ends tliereof,fand integrally uniting said plates to said railv ends by head and base seams, thebase seams lbein'gfrelatively short with respect to the length ofthe plates and the length of the head seams and beinglocated in their entirety remotev fromtheends ofthe plates and being substantially centrally located kwith respect to saidv plates.

3. The method 0fv constructing a seam Y Welded rail joint which comprises aligning adjacent, rail ends, 'fitting in fishing relation env opposite sides ofthe rail ends ,joint plates of-,channel shaped rvcross` section havingtheir fendsV unaligned,v said plates each `Y`havmga top flange' providedvwith .a lWeld metal receiving surface at the'topedgeex-V t'endingwell beneath an'adjacentrail head to form a recessl andextending forwardly ofthe Vsaid rail head to' form a ledge :and

having akbas'e flangefexte'nding outwardly Y jpi'ngfshortfthereof and having an upright seain `weld nietal engagingsurfacaand an 'outwardly bowed web portion; between said flanges, each said plate having holes through "the web portion thereof, said` holes" being slightly unaligned with iespectfto` correspond'ingholes in the railends, and fusing adjacent portions of the rail head,""the v"upper"surface of Veach plate and" additional metal to forni a 'seanifweld disposed infeach 'recess and on each ledgefand integrally l united to the rail .head and plate," said head seains stopping shortof the ends of the (plates, and forming seani'welds integrally uniting the plates and rail bases,said`base seams being relatively short "with respect to the length of rvthe plates and the head seams, being approximately `equidistant frointhe 'endsof the plates, and alllof said seains `ending in different vertical planes.

` 4. The method' j of constructing "a seam welded rail jointwhich comprises aligning :adjacent rail ends, fitting fishing relation on opposite sides of the rail ends joint plates of channel shaped cross section having their ends unal1gned,.sa1d plates each having a top flangeprovided with a weld metal re eeivlng surface at the topedgeextending well beneath the adjacent rail headto forni a recess and extending forwardly of the said head to forin a ledg'eand having ja base flange extending outwardly toward the edge of the rail base but stopping short thereof and having an upright `seain fweld metal engagingsurface, and an outwardly bowed web portion between said flanges,' each l said web portion having lnarrowl slots extending longitudinally frorn the vopposite ends thereof, each said plate `having holes through the'web portion thereof, said holes being-slightly unaligned with respect to coruniting the plates `and rail bases, `said base seams being relatively short with respect to the length'of the plates and the head seams, being approximatelyA equidistant ffroni the ends of the plates, and all of `said sealns ending Vin different: vertical' planes. 5. A seain welded rail' joint comprisingV aligned adjacent rail ends, vjoint'plates`a1 ranged on opposite sidesof the rail ends engaging the heads and bases ofthe railsin fishing relation. said plates being united to the rails along their top and bottoni edges by nieans of" seam 'welds, theV base sea-ins beingv relativelyVshort in total Vlengthlwith respect to thelength'of` the plates and total 'length of the head"seams,A and being located length 'with respect to` theyr lengt pla-tes andA 'total'length` of theflieadf jsearns, and the ends `bf said baise seanas being vapbyineans of head and base seam weldsi' Y in ,their entirety 'ireinote y frein theV ends of the plates and `being substantially' centrally located withrespect'f-tosaidplates. `v "1 6. A i seain L-weldedrail jointy comprising 'aligned `,adjacent rail'ends51fehannel shaped joint plates arrangedv'on opposite` sides of the r'ail ends engagingv theV heads" and bases f'ftherailsgin nshing rela-tion, each 'said plate` having" ay surface along "the topf edge thereof extending' well beneathffthe adjaf uniting the plates and rail bases, said base seain welds. being relatively short "total the plates.

. 7. Aseain weldedl 4ra'lilifjoiintml comprising aligned adjacent railf ends, channel shaped of the railsin fishing 'relation and having Ytheir ends unaligned, each said plate having a surface V'along thetopf edge thereof .extend ing well beneath the adjacent railk head 'to' form a recessand forwardly of the saidhead. toforin a'ledg'e, sea-1n 'zweldinetalin each said recessandl on each {saidledge"integrally united to the saidlfrplatesand rail* heads,

said` seam weldsstoppingfsliort `of the ends of the plates, and hase. fjseain w'elds` integrally 'uniting the rail;` `bases andjthe fp1ates, Esaid base -searnfwelds kin total'v length being' relatively' short= with respeetfto the lengthof thevplates and total length` ofthe head seainsgtliefends `of `said"b`ase scams being approximately j equidistant freni theV ends ofgtlie plate-"s and allofsaidvseainstere 1ninaltinginldinerentiverticalplanes."VV 7 y l 8.". A `seam;` welded "frail jointfeoinprising aligned adjacent rail ends; joint'l plates arrcentj`rai'l"head to forniarecess and; for- "wardly offsaid head toforina.lledge,lseain weld nietal in "each" said-recess and'on eac-h said ledge integrallyunitfl to `thef'rail heads andplates, `'and base seani 4welds)integrally "jointY plates arrangedl onv opposite sidesof f90 'theralilends engaging the" heads and bases ilo rangedon opposite sidesvof the Lraillends engaging the heads and `bases of lthe.r rails in fishing' relationY and having web portions y.

slotted longitudinally lfrom th'ejends` there-` V of; one ofsaid plates"being` longer:` than the other and extending approximately/"an equ'al andsaid Iplates being united to the railsi 9. Afseani welded rail oint vcomprising aligned "adjacent "rail ends, channel shaped joint plates arranged on@ opposite; sides of the rail ends engagingthe head and base off.,h the rails in 1fishingrelation,` said plates l1`av- `ing web portions between'the railiheads and l bases provided with longitudinally extending slotsfeach said'plate having 'a surface along the topfedgefthereof extending"well- `distance beyond the ends ,ofthe lshortplateV beneath the adjaeentvraii' "headV a `foam W13@ 'recess and v*forwardly ofsaid head to' form a ledge,seam weld metal .inf each said recess and on each saidledgeintegrally united vto th'eisaid plates' andr heads, and base seam welds integrally uniting therail bases rand the plates, said base seamwelds being relaytivelyshort in total length with respect to j. the plates and the ends of saidseam welds Ybeing approximately equidistant from the 1 Y ends of the plates. i f 10. A seam weldedv rail Qjoint comprising aligned'adjacent lrail ends, channel shaped joint platesarranged,y on opposite sides of the rail ends engaging the heads and bases vof the rails in fishing relation and having their endsunaligned, said plates having web portions between the raill heads and bases provided with -longitudinally extending slots, each'said plate-'having a surface along the top edge thereof vextending vwell beneath the adjacent rail head to form a recess and forwardly of said headto -formua ledge, seam weld metal in each said recess and on each said ledge integrally united to the said plates andheads, and base'` seam welds integrally uniting the rail bases and the plates, said basey seam lwelds being relatively short in total,y length with respect to the plates and the ends of said seam welds being approximately equidistant from the yends of the plates.v Y, j c

11. A seam welded railj joint comprising aligned adjacent rail ends, jointrjplatesarranged on opposite sides of the railends engaging the heads and bases o-f the railsk inV fishing relation, each said plate having a web portion, said plates being united to the rails along theiI` top andvbottom edges by means of seam welds, and provided'withv longitudinally extending narrow slots terminating in holes through the plates.

f 12. A seam welded rail jointcomprising .aligned adjacent rail ends, joint plates .ar-

ranged onopposite sides yof the rail ends en? -v gaging the heads and bases of the rails in fishing relation, each'said plate having a' web portion, said plates V*being united to the railsvalong their top and-bottom edges by means of seamwelds, and provided with longitudinally extending narrow slots atroppositeends ythereof said slots terminating in holes through the plates.

'13. A seam welded rail joint comprising aligned adjacent rail ends, channel shaped joint :plates arranged onopposite sides of the rail ends engaging the headsand bases y kofthe railsin fishing relation and havingY a web portion therebetween-provided with slots extending' from thependsthereof inwardly in alongitudinal direction, said slots terminating in holes through the plates, each said plateghaving -aj'sur'fa'ce along the topedge thereof extending well beneath the adjacent rail head to .form a recess and' forwardly ofthe Saidk Vlegalite ferma-.ledge `seam weld metal in each saidrecess and on* each, said ledge integrally uniteduto ,the

said platesjand the rail heads, Vsaid 'seam welds .stoppingjshort .of .the ends of the plates and base seamfwelds integrally uniting the prail bases .and the plates, said base seam welds being relatively short total length with respect to the length `of the plates, 1 the 'ends of said' base seams being approximatelyequidistant from the ends. of the l'platesandN` all of said seams termi# nating in Vdifferent, vertical planes.

'14. Aseam welded rail joint comprising ,aligned adjacent rail ends, channel shaped joint plates arranged on opposite sides of. .the railends engagingv the heads andbases of the-rails in fishing relation, one of said plates being longer than the' other and extending approximately an equal distance beyond each end yof the shorter plate, Ythe web portions of each plate being slotted longibase seam welds beingl approximately equidistantfrom the ends of the plates and all of said seams terminating in differentvertical planes. j

15. A joint plate fora welded rail joint having surfaces adapted to engage the under surface of a rail head and theupper v surface cfa rail base and a webportion therebetween, said web portion being provided/with longitudinally narrow extending slots which terminate .in holes through the plate. 'y y 16. A joint plate for a welded rail joint having head and base flanges adapted to cooperate with the underside of a rail head Aand the upper side` ofa rail base respectively',y and having a Lweb portion between vsaid flange portions provided withV longitudinally extending'slots which terminatein holes through the plate. j f 17. A joint plate for a welded rail joint `having head. andi base fianges adapted to cooperate with the underside of a rail head .and the upper sideof a rail base respectively,

and havingy an`r outwardly bowedy Webporti'on between said flange portions provided with llongitudinally extending narrow slots; f 18. kA* joint plate for a welded rail joint, having head and base flanges adapted to cooperate withH thegunde'rside. of` a rail head andthe upper side of arail baserespectively,

Yand having Va lwebj,portion between said.

Vrtudinally from the endsrthereof and each 'y said *plate having a' surface. along the: top

a ledge, said base flange having a substantially vertical seain `Weld engaging surface, and said web portion being provided with longitudinally extending slots. ,i

19.` A joint plate for a Welded rail joint `having head and base flanges adapted to` cooperate with the underside of a rail head and the upper'side of a rail base respec` tively, and having an outwardly bowedweb portion between `said flange portions,said'` head flange having atop surfa'oe'adapted a rail headvandto extend'forwardly from In testirnonyvvhereof I hereunto affix Iny signature this 18 day of July, 1925.;`

ROY Bj FEHR..

1,5 to `form al recess extending `Well beneath .the raillhead to form a ledge, said base flange having a vertical seam Weld engag-` Ving surface,"` and said Web portions] being provided with longitudinally extending slots. f 

